The Market brings many things to each vendor, customer, volunteer and staff member each week.  Foremost, of course, is food and conversation.  Then, for many, comes art and artists. This week we feature a person who may produce the Market’s most unusual art – Susanne Martin or as she is sometimes known, Yonno Press.

Susanne characterizes Yonno Press and the beautiful paper she creates as her “side hustle.” Full time, she teaches English as a second language to kids from all over the world.  Whether they come from Jordan or Laos or Cameroon or Albania, Susanne is ready to help them learn a new language for a new place in the world. (She’s got great stories. Just ask.)

Paper as art evolved from her interest in art classes at UNCG.  The art classes provided a break from studying library science and gave he the opportunity to work with local artists Jack Stratton and Jim Thompson at the university’s bindery.   Emmy Mills, the Special Collections librarian at UNCG, then helped her gain entrance to the University of Alabama’s book arts program and now the Market is a richer place.

The process of making paper and binding books is necessarily somewhat complex.  Susanne’s own words characterize what she does best. “The work that I do is primarily limited editions where I make the paper, print the text with handset type on my barely functional Number 1 Vandercook Proof Press. Between bits of tape and pinhole markings I am able to get the results that I want.  I also bind the books in a style fitting to the content.  I try to make the paper with inclusions that are relevant to the text, for example I included cat hair from Fred Chappell’s cats in the paper for Companion Volume. Each edition takes about three years to complete from beginning to end.”

Stop by table 75 on aisle C enjoy an art form unique in the Market and learn more from Susanne. You may also visit her website at http://yonnopress.com/